AMERICAN PERISCOPE. Power of email

Volkswagen continues to be in the news about its violation of emission limits in the US. During investigations, the company tried to explain that a small number of lower level employees were guilty and that senior management were ignorant of the fraud.

But Emails scrutinised by news agencies show that Martin Winterkorn, the CEO at that time, was sent a memo about a research study that found irregularities in emission tests.

However, the company has explained that it was not sure if Winterkorn read the memo because of the large number of mails that he receives. The situation raises an interesting question about organisational practice. The report says that the email was sent to Winterkorn. Was it addressed to him or was he sent a copy? Does it make a difference? Does receiving a copy of a message that you do not pay attention to implicate you?

If so, then here is a call to sit up and take notice because I do not read a large number of the emails I am copied on. Who to copy on an email message is not a settled issue and opinions vary. The common sense argument is that you copy those people who you think should know about the matter at hand.

But common sense prevails only in exceptions. In the wonderful days when you had to stick a carbon paper in the typewriter before you got another copy, there was a physical restriction on the number of copies made and restricted the scope of distribution.

With emails, it is a cinch to let the whole world know. Copying a large number of people keeps everyone ‘in the loop.’ That should surely be a nice thing since a common criticism of organisational practice is that information is power and some people are stingy with sharing.

Copying several people also buys you insurance. If something goes wrong, you can always tell your boss he was copied on that message. Some managers are control freaks and like to know everything that is going on.

Haven’t you met busy executives who proudly proclaim the number of emails they receive daily! I bet a majority are copies they should not be receiving.

So, there are several included in the ‘cc’ (which, incidentally, stands for ‘carbon copy’!) box. You not only include all those who should know about the matter at hand, but also those who are your superiors and you want to ‘keep them informed’ so they know you are working and not surfing the net.

So if you have several people who report to you, or in whose work you are indirectly connected, you are going to receive a whole bunch of emails that you delete while wondering why they are wasting your time.

By now, reading this column, you may be convinced that you have to take the matter on hand and announce that you do not wish to be copied on matters that you are not involved with. You don’t want to be in the Winterkorn position.

Smart, right? Just wait for that smarter employee who makes a stupid decision, gets you into trouble and when you scream why you were not told about it, will smile and say, ‘But you didn’t want to be copied on these mails!’ You just can’t win.

The writer is a professor at Jindal Global Business School, Delhi NCR and at Suffolk University, Boston

COMMENT NOW